By DICK SPARRER
Homestead can't win the boys' soccer title in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League this winter.
And it doesn't appear that the Mustangs can return to the Central Coast Section playoffs.
But the Mustangs can still accomplish something in the final days of the league soccer season--they can spoil things for someone else.
And the Mustangs were doing just that last week when they locked up title contender Palo Alto in a 1-1 tie.
The Vikings were cruising along with a 6-1-2 league record when they visited Homestead last week. The Mustangs were well back in the league standings at 1-4-4.
But Charlie Hu knocked in a first-half goal off a Daniel Castillo assist, and Homestead made that goal stand up for a 1-1 tie against Paly.
The draw was the start of a good week for the Mustangs. Homestead came back with a lopsided win over Lynbrook, turning a 1-0 halftime advantage into a 5-0 victory with four goals in the second half.
Castillo came through with two goals and two assists to lead the Mustangs to the win over the Vikings. Eric Wilson added two goals and an assist for the winners.
Thomas Skucha also scored a goal for Homestead and Derrick Smith chipped in with two assists.
The win and tie helped the Mustangs improve to 2-4-4 in division play and to 6-5-6 for the year.
Fremont, meanwhile, won a pair of games in the El Camino Division of the SCVAL, both by tight 3-2 scores.
Charith Peiris knocked in two goals and Maurillo Rodriguez added one to lift the Firebirds to a 3-2 win over Gunn to open the week. Anthony Rodriguez and Shawn Hargrove each had assists for the winners.
Fremont opened up a 3-1 lead by the half, then held on in ther second half, holding Gunn to a single goal.
It was the Firebirds who trailed at the half two days later against Wilcox, but Fremont battled from behind for a 3-2 win over the Chargers.
Fremont was down 2-1 at intermission, but knocked in two second-half goals to pull out the victory.
M. Rodriguez had two goals and an assist and A. Rodriguez knocked in a goal to lead Fremont to the win. Peiris and Mauricio Rodriguez added assists for the Firebirds.
The 'Birds are now 2-4-3 in division play and 4-5-4 for the year.
In girls' soccer action last week, both Fremont and Homestead were held scoreless in two games.
Fremont dropped a 6-0 decision to Lynbrook and a tight 1-0 nod to Wilcox to slip to 1-7-1 in the El Camino Division and to 6-9-2 for the year.
The Chargers, 5-1-3 in the division, could manage just a first-half goal against the Firebirds, but made that stand up for the 1-0 win.
Homestead fell to 0-10-1 in the De Anza Division of the SCVAL and to 6-10-1 for the year, losing 6-0 to Los Altos and 3-0 to Palo Alto.
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, February 12, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.